


Doctor Without

by metawasteoftime



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Aromantic Sans, Artist Papyrus, Bad Puns, Big Brother Sans, Big Brother W. D. Gaster, Bio-magical weapon development, Bisexual Papyrus, Bittersweet Ending, Body Horror, Canon Compliant Whenever Possible, Canon Pronouns, Canon Universe, Don't forget, Flowey Can Be A Good Friend To Papyrus Now And Then, Gaster Brothers, Gaster's Time Machine, Gen, Genius Papyrus, Good W. D. Gaster, Hammer of Justice Gerson, Homesick Papyrus, Homesick Sans, Lonely Papyrus, Loud Introvert Papyrus, No Romance, OCs for daaaaaaays, PTSD Sans, Papyrus Doesn't Remember Resets, Plague, Quiet Extrovert Sans, Sans Doesn't Remember Resets, Sans Has Issues, Sans Has Survivors Guilt, Sans Is Gaster, Sans Is Not Apathetic, Sans Makes A Promise He Can't Keep, Sans has REGRETS, Sans is a Troll, Time Travel, Tragic Keepsakes, based on a theory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 06:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10679823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metawasteoftime/pseuds/metawasteoftime
Summary: Dr. W. D. "Sans" Gaster and his spirited young brother Papyrus struggle to pull the broken pieces of their lives into something resembling a normal life and look for their place in a strange new Underground after a series of tragedies leaves them stranded centuries in the future. [DROPPED]





	Doctor Without

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on my theory on Sans being Gaster as presented in [Bare Bones](http://archiveofourown.org/series/636356). This is a side project to that project, so expect updates to be sporadic and for the chapters to be, sadly, fairly short.
> 
> Note:  
> \- Child Papyrus uses 'they' pronouns. This is part of a personal headcanon where the majority of monsters don't choose their gender until they're in their late teens or an adult.  
> \- As in the Lost SOULs sequence, Sans and teen/adult Papyrus use mixed pronouns (he/it) in the narrative. 'It' is primarily used for moments of weakness and distress.  
> \- Skeleton facial expressions are primarily based on their sockets and the _corners_ of their mouth, as in canon.

## Chapter One

Grillby's establishment is both more than and less than a diner. It is a hodge-podge of a family-friendly greasy spoon, a gambling resort, and a bar for troubled and tired travelers. It is a place where those with house but no home seek refuge in. Most importantly, of course, it is a place where said weary travelers spend their money for a cheap meal.

Lesser Dog whines at the losing card hand clutched in its mechanical gloves. The other dogs (minus Doggo, who squints at nothing) watch intently as it stands up to sit in the seat across to look at a second hand, chuffing encouragement in its direction. A loud snap echoed outside and the dogs jerk their heads around in confusion before sniffing intently. "Bone? Bone? Who's got a bone? I smell a bone!" They yammer, salivating in their excitement.

Outside, a stranger is talking. They sound distressed, frantic even.

Grillby sighs and tosses them a few bones he's saved just in case. The distraction works. The fire elemental steps outside into the snow. For a moment, he sees nothing. A small monster with a peculiar grin huddles in the shadows of the tree line. The white coat draped over its shoulders almost renders it invisible against the snow. It holds what looks like a small child in its arms.

".... the time?" the monster utters. Its voice is low, masculine. Distressed, but calm. The corners of his mouth slope down but his teeth remain bared in strange grin. In that moment, Grillby recognizes the unfamiliar monster for a skeleton. "Hey, hate to bother ya--" the skeleton sounds nonchalant, but the look in his sockets betray desperation. "--but what's today's date?"

Grillby says nothing for a moment as he processes everything carefully. "........ Wednesday."

The skeleton's tension evaporates. The corners of his lipless mouth curls in a genuine smile of relief. "heh, thanks, man. that's a relief. welp, i gotta go. the king needs to know the machine is busted. he's not gonna be happy about that."

The king? It all clicks into place. "You're the new scientist?"

A shadow of an indescribable expression flickers across the skeleton's face. "New scientist?" The tiny skeleton in his arms stirs sleepily with a rattle. "What... what happened to the last one?"

This monster mustn't be one for history class. Or perhaps he lives under a rock. "..... Dr. Gaster, you mean.  He vanished over two hundred years ago. Where have you......?"

But the skeletons are gone.

\--------

Dr. W. D. Gaster doesn't know when it stepped into the dark ice cavern, numb with shock. It places its sibling down gently and places a gloved hand on the wall, reeling as the Underground closes around it. _Over two hundred years ago..._ "no," it tells the darkness, his voice calm and even.

 _all gone. all dus--_ "No!" he shouts into the uncaring emptiness.

His sibling jerks awake with a frustrated grumble. "BROTHER, STOP SHOUTING!" They look around, blinking their sockets blearily.  "UM... WHERE ARE WE? YOU LOOK TERRIBLE! WHAT HAPPENED?"

 _They're gone. we're lost and... they're_ gone _. they're gone. everyone... i never got to....._ W. D. forces a smile. "heh, n-nothin', bro."

 _you took their mother from them_ , a small voice accuses it. _she never held them again. she never saw them grow up. they will never see her beaming with pride over their achievements. you stole those moments from them, from her, your own mother._

"i, uh, think i made a little mistake with the machine.  it... broke?" W. D. grins sheepishly at his sibling, playing their misfortune off as a minor mishap. "papyrus, i don't know where we are." _don't understand this, please._

Papyrus' face crumples.  W. D. imagines he sees betrayal and heartbreak in their watering sockets.  _How could you?_ The small voice hisses in disapproval.  The poor brave, brave child is hyperventilating.  What has he done? No, the machine... he can still fix it, fix _this_. "hey, no worries.  i have everything under control, kiddo."

His only family meets his sockets, the corners of their mouth curling into an optimistic smile. "REALLY, W. D.?"

"yeah." Gaster grins back, hoping his face looks reassuring. "we'll get home eventually, I promise." 

_we've just gotta._


End file.
